Sunday Bloody Sunday

Hear the iconic martial beat of U2's powerful 1983 protest anthem, "Sunday Bloody Sunday." The opening track from their landmark War album, this song's raw post-punk energy, stark guitar riff, and impassioned vocals created an unforgettable statement against violence that resonates decades later.

Released as a single in early 1983 from the politically charged album War, "Sunday Bloody Sunday" became one of U2's defining early tracks. Driven by Larry Mullen Jr.'s military drum pattern and The Edge's cutting guitar, this post-punk classic directly confronted the violence of The Troubles in Northern Ireland.

With Bono's impassioned plea for peace questioning "How long must we sing this song?", "Sunday Bloody Sunday" established U2 as a band with a conscience. Its urgent post-punk sound and powerful anti-violence message cemented its status as an enduring rock anthem from their pivotal 1983 period.

SONG MEANING: This song is a lament and protest against the violence of The Troubles in Northern Ireland, particularly inspired by the Bloody Sunday massacre of 1972. Bono emphasizes it's "not a rebel song" taking sides, but rather a humanistic plea questioning the cycle of violence and hatred ("And the battle's just begun / There's many lost, but tell me who has won?") from any faction.